Talking about business analysis, people will come out with the idea of market research, business plan, marketing plan, market size and lot of analysis. Today let’s talk about External Analysis that can be used to analyse the market. In order to do the analysis, we can choose the PEST. What is that?????? PEST CONTROL… opssss…NO!!!!!!! Let me explain what does it mean with that. The capital P is Political, E is Economic, S is Social and T is Technology.

Generally speaking a SWOT analysis measures a business unit or proposition, whereas a PEST analysis measures the market potential and situation, particularly indicating growth or decline, and thereby market attractiveness, business potential, and suitability of access – market potential and ‘fit’ in other words.

PEST analysis uses four perspectives, which give a logical structure, in this case organized by the PEST format, that helps understanding, presentation, discussion and decision-making. The four dimensions are an extension of a basic two heading list of pro’s and con’s.

PEST analysis can be used for marketing and business development assessment and decision-making, and the PEST template encourages proactive thinking, rather than relying on habitual or instinctive reactions.

Here the PEST analysis template is presented as a grid, comprising four sections, one for each of the PEST headings: Political, Economic, Social and Technological.

As previously explained, extended variations of PEST (eg., PESTELI and STEEP, etc) include other factors, such as Environmental, Ethical, Legal or Legislative, etc., however in most situations you will find that these ‘additional’ factors are actually contributory causes or detailed perspectives which then manifest or take effect in the form or one or several of the original four main PEST factors. For example, Ethical and Environmental factors will always tend to produce an effect in at least one of the main four headings (Political, Economic, Social, Technological), but it will tend not to work the other way. Hence why the basic PEST model is often the most powerful – it puts more pressure on strategic appreciation and analysis than a longer list of headings. When you next see a PESTELI or a STEEPLED analysis ask yourself (or the author): “Okay, I understand that customers tend to be more ethically minded now, but what does that mean in terms of the basic four PEST factors – what’s the effect going to be?…” or: “Okay we know that carbon emissions is an issue, but tell me where in the main four PEST factors will it impact..?

You will gather I am not a fan nor a particular advocate of extending the PEST model. It works great as it is – why make it more complicated and less specific? If you are worried about missing or forgetting a crucial point of ethics or legislation (or anything else) keep a reference list of these headings, and only build them into the model if you are sure that doing so will make it work better as a strategic tool.

The free PEST template below includes sample questions or prompts, whose answers are can be inserted into the relevant section of the PEST grid. The questions are examples of discussion points, and obviously can be altered depending on the subject of the PEST analysis, and how you want to use it. Make up your own PEST questions and prompts to suit the issue being analysed and the situation (ie., the people doing the work and the expectations of them). Like SWOT analysis, it is important to clearly identify the subject of a PEST analysis, because a PEST analysis is four-way perspective in relation to a particular business unit or proposition – if you blur the focus you will produce a blurred picture – so be clear about the market that you use PEST to analyse.

A market is defined by what is addressing it, be it a product, company, brand, business unit, proposition, idea, etc, so be clear about how you define the market being analysed, particularly if you use PEST analysis in workshops, team exercises or as a delegated task. The PEST subject should be a clear definition of the market being addressed, which might be from any of the following standpoints:

a company looking at its market

a product looking at its market

a brand in relation to its market

a local business unit

a strategic option, such as entering a new market or launching a new product

a potential acquisition

a potential partnership

an investment opportunity

Be sure to describe the subject for the PEST analysis clearly so that people contributing to the analysis, and those seeing the finished PEST analysis, properly understand the purpose of the PEST assessment and implications.